{"id":60,"date":"2008-07-25T13:22:33","date_gmt":"2008-07-25T21:22:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.timelypersuasion.com\/blog\/?p=60"},"modified":"2021-12-18T13:30:07","modified_gmt":"2021-12-18T19:30:07","slug":"commentary-26-across-26-winters","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.timelypersuasion.com\/blog\/commentary-26-across-26-winters\/","title":{"rendered":"Commentary 26: Across 26 Winters"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>And we&#8217;ve almost come to the end. \u00a0Generally speaking, endings are tough. \u00a0You need to tie up as many dangling threads as possible, leave the reader satisfied that reading the book was worthwhile, and try to go out on a memorable high note without it feeling abrupt or forced. \u00a0Let&#8217;s see how I did&#8230;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>So, what happens here? \u00a0After the bowling alley meeting in the last chapter, the old man blinked forward to the hospital where the narrator was on the old time machine. \u00a0He injected him with the syringe (that he still had in his possession from a version of the experiment in the further future), then grabbed him tightly by the arms to cut off his circulation. \u00a0This traps him back in time much like Nelson, but also gives him a little more control over his predicament with the addition of the injection.<\/li>\n<li>He wakes up back on his couch with his headphones on, exactly where he was before his second time travel trip back in Chapter 3. \u00a0The intent is to tease\/suggest that it was all a dream, even though it definitely wasn&#8217;t.<\/li>\n<li>Being able to switch to the second person after writing everything prior in the first person was very energizing.<\/li>\n<li>The <a title=\"Timely Persuasion - Alternate Ending\" href=\"http:\/\/www.timelypersuasion.com\/Ending.html\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"noopener\">original ending<\/a> used to be very different starting at the point immediately after the narrator hears &#8220;Won One&#8221; on the radio.<\/li>\n<li>Having Nelson on a date with the redheaded girl in a new alternate timeline serves as a reminder that Nelson is still out there, as well as an illustration that the narrator was able to at least partly let go of both of his obsessions.<\/li>\n<li>I like the &#8220;confident confidant&#8221; line, as well as &#8220;were my romantic misses actually my missus?&#8221; \u00a0Ah, wordplay.<\/li>\n<li>Couldn&#8217;t resist the random &#8220;I am somewhere in the city, I am climbing up a fire escape&#8221; M. Ward lyric even though it had no bearing on the story. \u00a0In an earlier draft I had <a title=\"Timely Persuasion - Lyrical Poetry\" href=\"http:\/\/www.timelypersuasion.com\/Poems.html\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"noopener\">the entire &#8220;I Am&#8221; poem<\/a> here, but realized that was overkill.<\/li>\n<li>&#8220;Why do I end up in the car so much?&#8221; is specifically for Nate Pepper&#8217;s benefit. \u00a0As I said before, he once pointed out that every story I write has a scene in a car.<\/li>\n<li>The &#8220;little sister got a boyfriend&#8221; line that the narrator remembers is a G. Love lyric from the future relative to when this scene takes place, with the implication being that his future self made him say it previously.<\/li>\n<li>I love how the opening lines to the final little section form a neat little triangle\/pyramid type shape.<\/li>\n<li>The &#8220;big reveal&#8221; if you want to call it that is the fact that our &#8220;narrator&#8221; has been secretly writing the entire book to himself from inside his own head and hiding it on a computer. \u00a0There are a few hints to this scattered within the text of the earlier chapters.<\/li>\n<li>The most interesting place to compare the alternate ending linked above to the actual ending is in the part about the characters not having names. \u00a0The first version felt too bitter and vindictive, as if the narrator hadn&#8217;t actually learned from his experience. \u00a0Here it is a little more subdued. \u00a0Yes, he still hates Nelson. \u00a0But he realizes that it&#8217;s not all that important in the scheme of things, and that it wasn&#8217;t all that rational to begin with. \u00a0&#8220;Maybe it doesn&#8217;t really matter in the long run.&#8221; \u00a0Once he&#8217;s learned to let go and not try to have everything both ways, he&#8217;s finally free to have a happy ending.<\/li>\n<li>&#8220;Hate needs a name&#8221; is also a possible clue to unlocking the epilogue.<\/li>\n<li>I am the walrus.<\/li>\n<li>There are 36 known musical references in this chapter.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><a title=\"Timely Persuasion - Across 26 Winters\" href=\"http:\/\/reader.timelypersuasion.com\/26.html\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"noopener\">Read Chapter Twenty-Six Online<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>And we&#8217;ve almost come to the end. \u00a0Generally speaking, endings are tough. \u00a0You need to tie up as many dangling threads as possible, leave the reader satisfied that reading the book was worthwhile, and try to go out on a memorable high note without it feeling abrupt or forced. \u00a0Let&#8217;s see how I did&#8230; So,&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[11],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-60","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-behind-the-scenes"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p3pfx3-Y","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1421,"url":"https:\/\/blog.timelypersuasion.com\/blog\/more-red-letter-dates\/","url_meta":{"origin":60,"position":0},"title":"More Red Letter Dates","author":"LBDG","date":"November 5, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"The most famous red letter date in the history of time travel is November 5, 1955 from Back to the Future. Lesser known BTTF dates include: January 1, 1885 (Doc's trip to the Old West) September 2, 1885 (Marty's trip to the Old West) November 12, 1955 (Enchantment Under The\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Time Travel&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Time Travel","link":"https:\/\/blog.timelypersuasion.com\/blog\/category\/time-travel\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.timelypersuasion.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/11\/screenshot_86.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":3626,"url":"https:\/\/blog.timelypersuasion.com\/blog\/one-or-ten-for-me-and-one-for-you-8-more-shows-with-the-pink-stones-at-sxsw-2026\/","url_meta":{"origin":60,"position":1},"title":"One or Ten For Me and One For You: 8 More Shows with The Pink Stones at SXSW 2026","author":"LBDG","date":"April 4, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"They1 said it was a record that would never be broken: One band, eight sets, five days of SXSW2. Never say never\u2014especially when it comes to a music based challenge involving your favorite active live touring band (I think3). https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/DVrZ892D3hX\/?hl=en I was on a mission to make up for my\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Music&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Music","link":"https:\/\/blog.timelypersuasion.com\/blog\/category\/music\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.timelypersuasion.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG_5286-2-scaled.jpeg?fit=1200%2C722&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.timelypersuasion.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG_5286-2-scaled.jpeg?fit=1200%2C722&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.timelypersuasion.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG_5286-2-scaled.jpeg?fit=1200%2C722&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.timelypersuasion.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG_5286-2-scaled.jpeg?fit=1200%2C722&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.timelypersuasion.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG_5286-2-scaled.jpeg?fit=1200%2C722&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2787,"url":"https:\/\/blog.timelypersuasion.com\/blog\/remixing-heartman-songstress\/","url_meta":{"origin":60,"position":2},"title":"Remixing Heartman &#038; Songstress","author":"LBDG","date":"April 17, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"L Extreme\u00a0plays out in album order as a track-by-track adaptation of\u00a0A Love Extreme, but ironically following the song sequence generated a non-sequential narrative that loops back on itself in a series of flashbacks. Keeping score at home? Excluding framing devices, re-arranging the chapters into chronological story would be along the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Behind the Scenes&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Behind the Scenes","link":"https:\/\/blog.timelypersuasion.com\/blog\/category\/behind-the-scenes\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"The Ballad of Heartman & Songstress -- a free novella by JL Civi based on the songs of Benji Hughes","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.timelypersuasion.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/HS-JPG-723x1024.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.timelypersuasion.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/HS-JPG-723x1024.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.timelypersuasion.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/HS-JPG-723x1024.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.timelypersuasion.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/HS-JPG-723x1024.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3418,"url":"https:\/\/blog.timelypersuasion.com\/blog\/lbdg-commentary-27-doo-dum\/","url_meta":{"origin":60,"position":3},"title":"LBDG Commentary 27: Doo &amp; Dum","author":"LBDG","date":"February 15, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"By completely unplanned coincidence, both Timely Persuasion and L Extreme have 26 chapters.1 Seemed to be the way my brain naturally plots novels, which made me think it would be neat to aim for 27 in Local Boy Done Gone\u2014my normal endpoint plus one more to tie to the 27\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Behind the Scenes&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Behind the Scenes","link":"https:\/\/blog.timelypersuasion.com\/blog\/category\/behind-the-scenes\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.timelypersuasion.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/The_Scooby-Doo_Dynomutt_Hour.webp?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.timelypersuasion.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/The_Scooby-Doo_Dynomutt_Hour.webp?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.timelypersuasion.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/The_Scooby-Doo_Dynomutt_Hour.webp?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.timelypersuasion.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/The_Scooby-Doo_Dynomutt_Hour.webp?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":26,"url":"https:\/\/blog.timelypersuasion.com\/blog\/commentary-8-eight-days-a-week\/","url_meta":{"origin":60,"position":4},"title":"Commentary 8: Eight Days A Week","author":"LBDG","date":"May 2, 2008","format":false,"excerpt":"For some reason I'm drawing a complete blank in trying to write an introduction to the commentary for this chapter, so I guess I'll just jump right in with the tidbits. I've always been partial to the brilliant simplicity of \"and\/or\" when I write. Surprisingly it only shows up three\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Behind the Scenes&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Behind the Scenes","link":"https:\/\/blog.timelypersuasion.com\/blog\/category\/behind-the-scenes\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":2648,"url":"https:\/\/blog.timelypersuasion.com\/blog\/lx-commentary-26-baby-its-your-life\/","url_meta":{"origin":60,"position":5},"title":"LX Commentary #26: Baby, It&#8217;s Your Life!","author":"LBDG","date":"December 20, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Endings are tough. You need to tie up as many dangling threads as possible, leave the reader satisfied that reading the book was worthwhile, and try to go out on a memorable high note without it feeling abrupt or forced.That's something I wrote a dozen years ago in the commentary\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Behind the Scenes&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Behind the Scenes","link":"https:\/\/blog.timelypersuasion.com\/blog\/category\/behind-the-scenes\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.timelypersuasion.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Screen-Shot-2021-12-20-at-8.59.01-PM-300x181.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.timelypersuasion.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.timelypersuasion.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.timelypersuasion.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.timelypersuasion.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.timelypersuasion.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=60"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/blog.timelypersuasion.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2668,"href":"https:\/\/blog.timelypersuasion.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60\/revisions\/2668"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.timelypersuasion.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=60"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.timelypersuasion.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=60"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.timelypersuasion.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=60"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}